Burial-vault and method of constructing same.



Patented luly'i'fi, 1902.

L. MILLER. BURIAL VAULT AND METHOD OF DONSTRUGTING SAME.

(Application Bled Jan. 92, 1902.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS MILLER, OF THORNTOWN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO .JAMES T.MGKIM, OF THORNTOWN, INDIANA.

BURlAL-VAULT AND METl-lOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,899, dated July 15,1902.

Application filed January 22, 1902. Serial No. 90,787. (No model.)

To all when 2, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Thorntown, in the county of Boone and State'of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful BuriaLVa-ult and Method of Constructing theSame, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cement burial-vaults and inthe method of constructing the same.

The object of my invention is to produce a vault for single intermentsinto which a casket maybe introduced and around which casket the vaultmay be formed, so that when completed there shall be incasing the casketa single piece of cement which when it hardens will be without seams orjoints.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved vault and the method ofconstructing the same.

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view showing a portion of the vaultin that stage of construction immediately following the insertion of thecasket. Fig. 2 is a similar view after the casket has been inserted andwhile the top of the vault is being constructed.

In operation the grave is dug in the earth 3 in the usual manner, exceptthat it is approxi mately some six inches wider and longer than usual. Ithen place in the bottom of the grave a floor of cement 4, said cementbeing preferably that described and claimed in the application of JamesT. McKim, Serial No. 90,833, filed January 22, 1902. The box 5 in whichthe casket is usually contained is then laid upon the floor of cementbeing spaced equal distances from the sides and ends of the grave, andcement is then introduced into the spaces between the sides and ends ofthe box and the walls of the grave, so as to form the side walls 6 ofthe vault. It is the intention that the vertical walls of the vaultshall be completed at about the time when the funeral cortege reachesthe cemetery; but if for any reason the walls are completed before thattime it is necessary to provide means which will keep the cement at theupper edges of the vertical walls 6 unset, and for this purpose Iprovide wedge-strips 7, preferably of soft wood, which will be embeddedalong the top edges of the vertical walls 6. These wedges are preferablyformed with one straight vertical side, which is placed parallel withthe ground side of the walls 6, and said wedges are held away from thedirt by means of short wedges or blocks 8, as shown. The wedges 7 extendsome distance-say about six inchesvertically into the wall 6 and operateto retard the setting of the cement. When the casket arrives, it isplaced within box 5 and cross pieces 9, preferably arched, are laidacross the top. of box 5 at suitable intervals. A covering 10, of lightstud only sufficient to stand the weight of cement to be placed thereonwhilethe same is setting, is then tacked to the upper edges of thearches, extending from end to end of the box 5. Each cross-piece 9 ispreferably provided at its lower corners with recesses 11, adapted toreceive the vertical side walls of the box 5, and in order to preventthe entrance of cement at the ends of the box one of said pieces isplaced close to each end. The wedges 7 and 8 are then withdrawn and thecement cover 12 is formedby spreading a layer of green cement over thecover 10, said cement extending down into the recesses formed by wedges7 and 8 and uniting firmly with the side walls. of the vault. As aconsequence a vault is formed which is seamless, so that it isabsolutely impervious to moisture, vermin, or ghouls.

I claim as my invention A method of constructing burial vaults whichconsists in laying a floor of green cement upon the bottom of the grave,placing the casket-box thereon in the grave, insert ing green cement between the vertical walls of the casket-box and the walls of the grave soas to form a unit with the cement floor, inserting removable absorbentstrips in the upper edges of the vertical cement walls, inserting thecasket in the casket-box, removing the absorbent strips,'placing asupportingcovering over the open upper end of the casket-box, andplacing a layer of green cement upon said covering and extending fromside to side of the vertical walls so as to unite therewith and extendinto the recesses formed by The removal of theabsorbent strips.

LEWIS MILLER.

Witnesses CHAS. W. McLAUeHLIN, JOHN E. LA RUE.

